In recent years, developments have been made in the digitalization of image forming apparatuses, and in the integration of the image forming apparatus and peripheral devices. This composite type image forming apparatus incorporates internally all of the various functions which have been a realized by optional independent apparatuses.
The various functions described above are a scanner function, printer function, facsimile transmission/reception function, image processing function, network connection function, file storage function, graphical user interface function, and the like.
This composite type image forming apparatus has interfaces for connection to various digital devices. The interfaces are, for example, a network interface, IEEE 1394, Bluetooth, and the like. These days, a composite-type image forming apparatus is connected with a plurality of personal computers, a network printer, and the like, through a network or the like, to construct an image forming system. Thus, use of the system by a number of users is realized through the network.
Also, these days, a scanner function and a file storage function of the composite-type image forming apparatus are combined in addition to a network printer function as a main usage of the apparatus. By this combination, a personal storage area for a user is secured in the image forming apparatus, and data scanned by the image forming apparatus is stored into the storage area. The scanned data can then be dealt with by a personal computer through the network.
Although image forming apparatuses have become composite and connection with digital devices have been developed by making compatibility with networks, the flow of image information is always in one direction.
For example, with respect to a network printer, an original of image information is electronic information existing in a personal computer on a network.
A network printer serves only to convert this electronic information into paper information, i.e., media conversion in one direction. Also, the scanner function of a composite-type image forming apparatus achieves only one-directional media conversion from paper information into electronic information so that the information flows to a personal computer on a network.
Specifically, original information electronically exists in a user's personal computer on a network, in conventional cases. If information is newly processed, added to, or corrected after information is outputted to a sheet of paper with use of the network printer function of an image forming apparatus, it is necessary to process, add to, or correct electronic information in a conventional method. This is just caused by the fact that the flow of information is in one direction in conventional techniques.
In general, in the technical field of CAD (Computer Aided Design) or the like, synchronization of information is achieved by dealing with electronic information on a personal computer. More specifically, in the case of CAD, when a user is editing CAD data, synchronization is taken such that another user cannot edit the CAD data. This inhibits synchronization of CAD data.
In addition, as related art, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication 2000-354126 discloses an image processing system. This technique is characterized in that operation levels on an operation screen of an image reading apparatus respectively correspond to directory levels for recording images of file servers and that change points in the levels are mutually reflected on the levels.